URGENT REQUEST regarding the upcoming PNM hearing on May 12
URGENT REQUEST regarding the upcoming PNM hearing on May 12
Greetings Sandia Heights Residents,
We have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we only have until this Friday, 4/17, at 5:00 to submit our emails to the County regarding the upcoming hearing on May 12, 2026.
The good news is that we are making it very easy for you to submit your email.
All you need to do is copy and paste kiverson@bernco.gov in the "To" field, copy and paste "Opposition to the Bernalillo County Planning Commission's recommendation to approve PNM's project applications (CSU2025-0009/SPR2025-0006) on the subject line, copy and paste the text below as the body of your text, sign it and hit send. We recommend you do it now. It will only take you 3-5 minutes max.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Bernalillo County Commissioners (submitted via Karen Iverson, BernCo Planning Department);
I respectfully request that you grant the Sandia Height's Homeowner's Association appeal of the BernCo Planning Commission's December 3rd recommendation to approve PNM's application for a Sector Plan Amendment and Special Use Permit to construct a large electric substation and install 90 ft. towers with 115kV transmission lines along Tramway Blvd.
The appeal is based on three main reasons:
1. PNM’s application presents information that is misleading or may misrepresent key project details.
2. There were procedural errors during the review and approval process.
3. The application itself lacks required information, making it incomplete.
Therefore, I urge you to firmly reject the Planning Commission's recommendation to approve PNM's project applications (CSU2025-0009/SPR2025-0006) to protect our community's interests.
I respectfully request that the County require three independent technical studies to be conducted by a qualified third-party engineering consultant as part of its review of PNM’s proposed project:
1. Substation siting study – A comprehensive evaluation of multiple potential locations for the proposed substation, focusing on areas of greatest need for additional electric power capacity.
2. Transmission corridor study – An analysis of potential transmission line routes that ensures full compliance with the requirements of the County’s Electrical Facilities Plan.
3. Undergrounding feasibility and cost study – A detailed assessment of the practicality, engineering considerations, and relative cost of placing transmission lines underground in connection with the proposed substation.
These independent analyses will provide an objective technical foundation for decision-making and help ensure the project aligns with community needs, environmental standards, and long-term infrastructure planning goals.
Please take immediate and decisive action on these requests when the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners meets on May 12th. Your leadership is crucial to ensuring the community’s voice is heard and acted upon.
Sincerely,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your email makes a real difference—the County Commissioners truly notice the volume of messages received. Whether you personalize your email or use our suggested draft, your support is essential. Every email counts in showing support for our appeal and sending a message to the Commission.
Thank you for being part of this effort!
Take Action: PNM Substation Hearing – May 12
Take Action: PNM Substation Hearing–May 12
At the 1/27/26 hearing on PNM's proposal for a new electrical substation on Paseo and high voltage transmission corridor on Tramway the Bernalillo County Commission (BCC) heard the appeals of three neighborhood groups, including SHHA. Voicing questions and concerns about the proposal the BCC directed County staff to complete further analysis of the siting of these electric facilities and the feasibility of under-grounding the transmission lines. While BCC’s skepticism of PNM’s ill-conceived proposal is a win for SHHA, the path forward remains uncertain. A follow-up BCC hearing is scheduled for 3:00 pm Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the BernCo Commission Chambers, 415 Silver SW.
The voice of the SHHA community, in the hundreds of emails sent to the County and in your attendance at the previous hearings, has been critical in convincing the BCC of the problems with the PNM permit application. We need the same level of involvement for the upcoming May 12 hearing Please send an email to Karen Iverson, Senior Planner, Bernalillo County, expressing your support for the SHHA appeal and for the BCC’s demand for a reanalysis of this project.
The timeline to submit public comment on the proposed PNM Substation in North Albuquerque Acres (CSU2025-0009/SPR2025-0006) is as follows:
PREFERRED - Prior to April 17, 2026, comments submitted to Kiverson@bernco.gov will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) as part of the agenda item packet.
Between April 18, 2026 and May 8, 2026 comments submitted to Kiverson@bernco.gov will be collected and presented to the BCC for their consideration to enter them into the public record at the May 12, 2026 public hearing.
Prior to the May 12, 2026 public hearing, the BCC will take written public comments at the following link: https://www.bernco.gov/boards-commissions/speak-at-a-meeting/.
Additional information can be found in the GRIT and at the SHHA website (link to Stop PNM page).